She Banished Me Yesterday, But Today She Calls Me Master? - Episode 12

“This is just between us… but tell me, when does a little sister start to hate her older brother?”

For some reason, my words made Linde gasp slightly, and her hand trembled. I didn’t miss the subtle distortion in her expression.

“That depends… on the circumstances, doesn’t it?”

Linde’s voice was slightly higher than usual, almost unnatural. I leaned my elbow on the table and sighed.

“Well… my stepsister is coming to observe my class. Apparently, she specifically requested to attend mine.”

“Wait—Eltrinde-sama is the one doing the inspection, isn’t she…?”

“You guessed it. Eltrinde is my stepsister.”

Seeing Linde’s shocked reaction, I went on to tell her everything—that we used to get along reasonably well, but for some reason she came to hate me, and eventually I was exiled.

“You’ve been through a lot, haven’t you, Master…”

“Thanks for saying that. But still—who seeks out someone they’ve exiled? That’s not normal, right? What could she be thinking?”

I scooped up the leftover sauce on my plate with a spoon, studying the girl across from me, watching for the slightest change in her expression.

“She must hate me. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have gone so far as to exile me. But why come all this way now? Does she have some ulterior motive?”

“…”

Linde quietly stood up and poured some wine for after the meal. She looked at me with steady eyes, unwavering.

“Maybe… she doesn’t actually hate you.”

“What?”

“Sometimes, people push others away to protect them—especially the ones they care about most.”

Her voice was soft, but carried a strange weight. She placed the glass before me and returned to her seat.

“For example, if someone is in danger and doesn’t want to drag their loved ones into it… or if they realize that their presence only causes pain to someone they cherish…”

“You think Eltrinde exiled me to protect me? That’s absurd. She’s a princess now. If she wanted to protect me, keeping me close would’ve been the safer option.”

“You’re right. It was just an example.”

Linde smiled, but her eyes didn’t follow. In fact, her gaze looked just like Eltrinde’s did on the day I was banished…

“But if she really hated you, why go through the trouble of meeting you again?”

“True… but what if there’s another reason? What if she’s just checking whether I’m staying hidden as I should be? And if she thinks I’m a threat… maybe she’s come to kill me.”

“That’s… That may be true for some sisters. But no sister could hate a brother as kind as you, Master!”

Her voice trembled—desperate, as if she couldn’t bear another misunderstanding.

The silver hair left on my bed when she cared for me during my illness suddenly came to mind.

“Linde… did something happen to you in the past? Or maybe…”

Could you be Eltrinde herself? I wanted to ask, but Linde gently clenched her hands and met my gaze firmly.

“What do you think of Eltrinde-sama, Master?”

“What do I think…?”

“Do you hate her?”

Her searching eyes made it impossible to lie. So, I answered honestly.

“Hate her? Maybe I did at first. But now… I just want to understand. Why she made that choice.”

I took a sip of wine, the bitterness sharp on my tongue as I continued.

“Eltrinde had a hard life. She was cast out of our home and endured so much. But she was always kind, always earnest. She grew stronger with each year—especially when we defeated the Demon King together. She was incredible then.”

“The Demon King… you fought side by side?” Linde murmured, and I smiled at the memory.

“Yeah. We grew really close during that time. That’s why it hurt so much when she exiled me. It made no sense.”

Linde listened in silence, but her blue eyes flickered with something unspoken.

“If… if you could meet Eltrinde-sama again, what would you ask her?”

I paused to think before answering.

“Why she exiled me… I guess. Then maybe… whether she’s been well. If she’s happy. Something like that.”

“Is that all? You wouldn’t accuse her or demand an apology?”

“No. I don’t hold a grudge against her anymore. I just worry about her. She always had a habit of carrying burdens alone.”

Tears welled up in Linde’s eyes. She quickly wiped them away, smiling softly.

“You truly are kind, Master. If Eltrinde-sama knew how you felt, I think… she would be very happy.”

“Maybe. I suppose I’ll find out tomorrow.”

“Yes. And I believe… one day, everything will come to light.”

Her words carried a deeper meaning, but I chose not to press her. She knew something. And she had decided that now wasn’t the time to speak.

Besides, my mind was already preoccupied with tomorrow’s inspection. I’d be seeing Eltrinde for the first time since the day I was banished. What should I say to her? What should I ask?

Or maybe… should I say nothing, and just perform my duties as a teacher?

By the time our conversation ended, I realized my glass was empty.

As I stood, Linde looked at me with a tense expression.

“Master… thank you for sharing something so important with me. Just to be safe—could you order me not to speak of this to anyone? That way, your secret will remain protected.”

She touched the collar around her neck—the mark of a slave. But I shook my head.

“Thanks, but no. I won’t do that.”

“Why not? Aren’t you afraid I might tell someone?”

“No. I told you because I trust you. If anything, I’m more afraid that if I mess up tomorrow, and someone questions you, not being able to answer will make things worse. So, if your safety’s at stake, feel free to speak about it.”

“You’re too kind, Master…”

Her eyes seemed to scold me a little, but I could only smile wryly and go to bed—my thoughts full of tomorrow.
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★★★

In her royal chambers, Eltrinde stood by the window, gazing up at the night sky. She clutched a new dress to her chest. Moonlight revealed the black markings spreading along her left arm—the curse’s mark. It had grown past her elbow and now reached toward her shoulder.

“Eltrinde-sama, it’s time for your medicine.”

Anbie approached with a small vial of dark purple liquid. When held to the light, black particles swirled within.

“Thank you.”

Eltrinde accepted it without emotion and drank it in one gulp. Her face twisted at the bitterness. The potion only delayed the curse—it couldn’t cure it.

“Everything is ready for tomorrow’s inspection. Are you prepared to observe Asto’s class?”

“Yes. I’m fine.”

“Are you sure? Can you remain calm seeing him praised by teachers and students alike?”

“…I’ll be fine.”

Avoiding Anbie’s pointed gaze, Eltrinde turned to her desk. A copy of Asto’s lesson plan lay atop it—obtained by Anbie.

“He’s teaching basic defense magic…”

She read through the notes and let out a small smile.

“That’s just like him. He’s always valued the fundamentals.”

Learning magic from Asto was a cherished memory. She giggled softly—but the smile soon vanished, replaced by a heavy sigh.

“Did I really do the right thing?”

Anbie watched silently.

“The day I exiled him… I can still see his face.”

She gently stroked the black curse mark on her arm.

“‘Why… I did everything for this country…’ he said. I can still hear his voice.”

Tears welled up in her eyes.

“He did nothing wrong. He always did his best for me. He fought to protect me…”

Tears dripped onto her desk.

“But I hurt him. Took everything from him—his land, his honor, his family… And yet, he doesn’t even hate me. He still hopes I’m happy…”

Eltrinde buried her face in her hands.

“This curse—it’s the price I paid for defeating the Demon King. I was supposed to bear this burden alone.”

Anbie spoke gently.

“You did it to protect him, Eltrinde-sama.”

“But there had to be another way!”

She suddenly shouted.

“I could’ve explained everything. We could’ve searched for a solution together. But instead, I hurt him with my own hands…”

She trembled with regret, and through her tears, she smiled bitterly.

“The smile I saw at the market… It had been so long since he smiled like that.”

She looked down at the dress.

“He bought something so beautiful—for me, not knowing I was Linde.”

Her reflection in the glass stared back at her—silver hair, not yet returned to blue.

“Tomorrow, I’ll see him again. As Eltrinde—the Coldhearted Princess. To protect him, I must be cruel again. But, Anbie…”

She turned, eyes filled with resolve.

“Until the day this curse kills me, I’ll never tell him the truth. Because it would break his heart.”

She gripped her left arm tightly.

“Even if he goes on hating me, I want him to live happily. Because now I finally understand just how deeply I’ve hurt him.”

Once more, Eltrinde looked out the window—toward Asto’s home.